Recipe Requested Japanese curry powder! (Aka making S&B or better)

[Naftoor]

So on cranking out a few blocks of curry roux, I’m astonished at how quickly a can of S&B goes by. I figure, like in many things if you’re using fresher, higher quality spices you can probably make a better quality product, even if it costs a bit more.

Has anyone ever given making a Japanese curry powder a whirl? Anyone have a good recipe? I know curry powder is one of those devils of the spice world since there’s a bajillion ingredients and possible combinations. Aaaand as I’ve established I have the palate of a ground hog that just rolled out of the burrow in mid-February for a snack, aka, not exactly nuanced. So I figure it’s best to see what one of you fine folks has found in your experimentations with curry powder =D

This is going to my starting point for my own experimentation, I’ve had good results with the sites actual curry and curry roux recipes.

 

[Michi]

This is going to my starting point for my own experimentation, I’ve had good results with the sites actual curry and curry roux recipes.

That's a good site, she knows what she is doing. I'd expect the curry powder to turn out just fine.

 

[MarcelNL]

since I have tasted Indian curries home made from fresh ingredients I hardly ever use powdered versions other than for throwing a pinch in some dish that needs 'something'.

Interestingly I dunno what is in Japanese curry, yet I reckon it might be worthwile to investigate what making it from scratch brings.

edit:
The main ingredients are turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, pepper, chili, orange peel, and other spices. Since the red canned curry powder became a staple in the kitchen at homes and restaurants, the flavor of this curry became the foundation for the Japanese curry culture.

sounds doable

 

[superworrier]

Japanese curry is kind of interesting.

It's definitely different from the dishes in India it was inspired by. But when you look at the top-ranked places in Japan, they start to resemble Indian food more and more.

Personally I mainly use the S&B-esque spices, but I do put a bit of garam masala, which to me, makes it taste better without losing too much of the Japanese character. For sure, you'd get another level up using freshly toasted and ground spices.

Something I've been experimenting with is stuff other than spices/roux. I watched a lot of Japanese youtube videos about Kanazawa-style curry, but I couldn't find a conclusive commonality (well there is, but it's more a theme than a specific ingredient). Last time I started with a base of fast-caramelized onions (not fully caramelized and more uneven in color), then fried it with a small amount of ketchup and Worcestershire and try to char it. Then, I cook the rest normally but I added some garam masala and a lot of black pepper. It came out really good. Next time I'm gonna experiment with adding demerara syrup (kind of similar tasting to kuromitsu) or blackening (the burnt sugar using in Jamaican stews).

 

[MarcelNL]

interesting stuff!
My theory is that the Japanese 'foreign influence' cooking is quite crude at times since the palate is quite different. Where I feel it makes sense to be true to cuisine for 'native' (or does one say 'heirloom' these days?) japanese dishes I do not think it;s needed for imported dishes.
When visiting Japan my collegues would always ask if I wanted to eat local food or, much their preference, go somewhere 'exotic'. (usually I picked local one day and exotic the next day)

 

[superworrier]

interesting stuff!
My theory is that the Japanese 'foreign influence' cooking is quite crude at times since the palate is quite different. Where I feel it makes sense to be true to cuisine for 'native' (or does one say 'heirloom' these days?) japanese dishes I do not think it;s needed for imported dishes.
When visiting Japan my collegues would always ask if I wanted to eat local food or, much their preference, go somewhere 'exotic'. (usually I picked local one day and exotic the next day)

I think this kind of goes both ways though.

I'm not really a believer that food has to be "traditional". A lot of stuff you see in ramen in Japan would get extreme haters overseas for "bastardizing" it (let's just ignore the fact ramen is already bastardized Chinese food), but that's not something ramen chefs in Japan care about.

On the other hand, while popular curry in Japan seems to converge closer to actual Indian food, as an American, it's not necessarily what I'm looking for when making Japanese curry (and maybe in that case, I'd rather have actual Indian food). Personally, it probably makes sense to toe the line.

A similar experience I had in Taiwan was that the local-oriented night markets popular among young people had a larger proportion of Japanese/Korean food. As a tourist to Taiwan, it's not necessarily what I'm looking for even if it's popular among locals. More tourist-oriented night markets, or more old people oriented ones, tended to have more traditional Taiwanese food, but this is the opposite of what young locals actually go to. So "do like the locals do" isn't always the best strategy as they have different priorities and tastes.

 

[parbaked]

Curry was introduced to Japan by the British navy in the late 19th century, when Japan was modeling their navy after the Royal Navy.
As such it was already a mild, dummied down version of what the British experienced in India.

It's similar to the roots of curry in Cantonese cuisine.

Fun fact: both the Japanese Navy and Hong Kong police force still have curry for lunch on Fridays...

I make a roux with S&B powder, as per Just One Cookbook, to make mine.
I use good dashi, instead of water, which adds depth of flavor.
A little apple sauce or juice adds a touch of sweetness that wifey likes.

 

[Ochazuke]

interesting stuff!
My theory is that the Japanese 'foreign influence' cooking is quite crude at times since the palate is quite different. Where I feel it makes sense to be true to cuisine for 'native' (or does one say 'heirloom' these days?) japanese dishes I do not think it;s needed for imported dishes.
When visiting Japan my collegues would always ask if I wanted to eat local food or, much their preference, go somewhere 'exotic'. (usually I picked local one day and exotic the next day)

I have a very different opinion. For example: certainly Japanese Chuka ryori (their version of Chinese food) bears little resemblance to Chinese food from China, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's in any way crude. A lot of it is actually quite delicious. It would be like saying that Cal-Mex is crude just because it's not Mexican. I think most of California would whole-heartedly disagree given both that style's popularity and ingenuity.

Same thing with food that was adapted for Japanese tastes and ingredients from overseas recipes. Absolutely nobody thinks that Japanese curry is the same as Indian curry, or that tempura has anything to do with Portugeuse food, or that Okinawan Taco Rice is something you could find in America. But these are all beloved, respected, and delicious. Food tells the story of migrants and migrants' experiences and food can be really beautiful.

That being said, Japanese curry was originally food for the military since it was cheap, easy to make in large quantities, and fairly universally enjoyed. It boomed when the Japanese servicemen returned home and brought it back into homes with them. The tricky part (like a lot of Japanese flavors) is that the core flavor profile is decided and if you change that, most Japanese will plainly tell you that it's not Japanese anymore. Basically my point is that if you want something that Japanese people will agree is Japanese curry you pretty much have to make S&B curry (or any of the other main brands) but with better ingredients. You can definitely change the recipe and do your own thing and it'll probably be delicious (I do this all the time) but the further you deviate from the known flavors of Vermont, Java, S&B, etc, the less likely Japanese people will think your curry is Japanese. They won't think it's Indian, Middle Eastern, or any other type either. They just won't think it's Japanese.

My advice: start with a simple online recipe and and begin tweaking it little by little. Keep a log with your changes and your thoughts on the changes.

 

[jdt40]

If you decide to not make your own Japanese curry powder, this is a great alternative.

 

[MarcelNL]

Basically my point is that if you want something that Japanese people will agree is Japanese curry you pretty much have to make S&B curry (or any of the other main brands) but with better ingredients.

that was pretty much all I was suggesting in my first post that was on topic, the second one is more irrelevant ...like OT

 

[fortheloveofmoar]

I happen to be a huge fan of the Josh Weiss man recipe
https://www.joshuaweissman.com/amp/perfect-homemade-katsu-curry
Hopefully you can overlook some of the…. Personality choice sun the videos but I tend to enjoy his recipes.

Only change I make is to add coconut cream (or dairy cream if you like) and carrots that have been roasted or slightly pan charred

Edit: I add usually a can of the coconut milk and cream to taste

about 3 to 4 medium carrots
If you want more sweet add another sweet apple.

I tend to avoid the cumin.